MacLauchlan became Liberal leader at a convention in Charlottetown on Saturday and was sworn in as premier during a ceremony at Government House.

He was unopposed for the leadership of the Liberal party, which holds 23 of the 27 seats in the legislature.

MacLauchlan also announced a smaller cabinet, shrinking it to eight members from the 11 ministers Ghiz had in his government.

In addition to being premier, MacLauchlan will also serve as the minister of finance and energy, aboriginal affairs and intergovernmental affairs.

Seven members of Ghiz’s cabinet remain in their current roles or take on an additional portfolio.

MacLauchlan, 60, also becomes chairman of the Council of the Federation, which is made up of all Canadian premiers.

He jumped into politics following a career as a lawyer and academic, including more than a decade as president of the University of Prince Edward Island.

One of the first major decisions MacLauchlan will have to make is whether to seek a seat in the legislature in a byelection or call a general election. P.E.I.’s next election can take place as late as April 2016, but there is speculation MacLauchlan could move that forward to this spring.

When he became leader of the party on Saturday, MacLauchlan said his government will focus on the economy, open government, citizen engagement and dealing challenges created by the province’s aging population.

The Progressive Conservative party in P.E.I. will elect a new leader on Saturday. There are three candidates seeking the party’s leadership.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/wade-maclauchlan-takes-over-as-p-e-i-premier-on-monday/feed/0Wade MacLauchlan on brink of becoming P.E.I. premier as he takes Liberal reinshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/maclauchlan-on-brink-of-becoming-p-e-i-premier/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/maclauchlan-on-brink-of-becoming-p-e-i-premier/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 20:44:00 +0000The Canadian Presshttp://www.macleans.ca/?p=682955Wade MacLauchlan is taking over the ranks of P.E.I's Liberal Party as Robert Ghiz steps down

CHARLOTTETOWN – Wade MacLauchlan became leader of Prince Edward Island’s Liberal party on Saturday after a long career in academia, replacing a longtime politician who is almost 20 years his junior.

MacLauchlan, 60, ran unopposed for the party’s leadership after Robert Ghiz announced he was stepping down after eight years as premier.

He becomes the province’s 32nd premier on Monday when Ghiz formally resigns.

One of the first big decisions MacLauchlan will have to make — in addition to naming a cabinet — revolves around election timing.

P.E.I.’s next election can take place as late as April 2016, but there is speculation MacLauchlan could move that forward to this spring rather than run in a byelection to get a seat in the legislature.

The new Liberal leader has been coy about his election plans, although Robert Vessey is stepping down as minister of transportation and infrastructure renewal to become his chief of staff. That also opens MacLauchlan’s home riding of York-Oyster Bed for him to run in.

MacLauchlan told reporters he could have more to say about his election plans on Friday.

“I’d invite people to come to a dinner on Feb. 27 in the York-Oyster Bed district and there may be some news there,” he said.

Whenever an election is called, the Opposition Progressive Conservatives will have a new leader as well at the party’s helm. The party held advance polls Saturday in its three-candidate race to be decided next weekend at another leadership convention in Charlottetown.

MacLauchlan, a lawyer, was president of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1999 to 2011. Before that he was dean of law at the University of New Brunswick. He also taught at Dalhousie University in Halifax and studied at Yale University in the United States.

Born in the rural community of Stanhope, MacLauchlan is openly gay and acknowledged the support of his partner Duncan McIntosh, artistic director of the Watermark Theatre in Rustico, in his acceptance speech.

MacLauchlan outlined his broad goals as premier in the speech, which include improving the economy, open government, citizen engagement and dealing with demographic change as the province’s population ages.

Boosting trade and immigration were highlighted by MacLauchlan as ways of pushing economic growth.

“Prosperity starts with growing our economy,” he said.

“We can and must do better. We have the goods and the services, and the culture and the work ethic to back it up.”

As his acceptance speech came to an end, MacLauchlan used the lyrics “You gotta tune your attitude in” from a song by the late Stompin’ Tom Connnors, who he referred to as the province’s pre-eminent philosopher.

“I have my attitude tuned in,” he said.

Prof. Donald Savoie, who has known MacLauchlan for about 20 years, said recently he expects Canada’s newest premier to make an impact among his national peers.

“Let it be a warning to other premiers and the prime minister, this guy is going to be articulate, he’s going to be forceful and brings to the table a work experience and life experience that is rarely seen in politics,” said Savoie, who holds a Canada research chair in public administration and governance at the University of Moncton.

MacLauchlan will get a chance to test his political leadership skills right away. When he replaces Ghiz on Monday he also becomes chairman of the Council of the Federation, which is made up of the country’s premiers.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/maclauchlan-on-brink-of-becoming-p-e-i-premier/feed/0‘I can’t wait to see what you’re up to next,’ Trudeau tells departing P.E.I. premierhttp://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/i-cant-wait-to-see-what-youre-up-to-next-trudeau-tells-departing-pei-premier/
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/i-cant-wait-to-see-what-youre-up-to-next-trudeau-tells-departing-pei-premier/#commentsSat, 21 Feb 2015 15:32:20 +0000The Canadian Presshttp://www.macleans.ca/?p=682903P.E.I. premier Robert Ghiz says he's taking a hiatus from politics for a while

CHARLOTTETOWN – Premier Robert Ghiz of Prince Edward Island was wooed Friday evening with appeals to run federally, calls he hasn’t dismissed as he exits the political stage this weekend.

Salutations for the departing premier poured in from colleagues past, present and possibly future at a provincial Liberal convention in Charlottetown.

“I am definitely going on hiatus from politics for a while,” the 41-year-old told hundreds of supporters at the Prince Edward Island Convention Centre, which opened during his mandate. “I’ve had a great run over the last 12 years.”

Ghiz has said he decided not to run again after his time in provincial politics, eight of which he served as premier, because he no longer had “fire in the belly.” But many are wondering whether this is a retirement or merely a break.

“I’m not saying adieu because I have a feeling we will see you again some time from now,” Quebec Liberal Premier Philippe Couillard said in one of many video tributes.

“I’m sure you will stay away from politics for a while, but who knows? We may cross paths again.”

Former Ontario and federal Liberal Sheila Copps said she also expects to see Ghiz back in public life, and federal Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau congratulated Ghiz in another video address before saying, “I can’t wait to see what you’re up to next.”

Ghiz’s decision to walk away from politics, at least for now, was unexpected.

He leaves P.E.I.’s Liberal party with a commanding majority in the legislature and the Ghiz family name is a respected one in Island politics. Robert has continued the Ghiz legacy, started when his father Joe served as a popular premier from 1986 to 1993.

Don Desserud, a political science professor at the University of Prince Edward Island and a keen observer of Canadian politics, doesn’t think the country has seen the last of Ghiz as a politician.

“I’d be amazed if he didn’t find something that brought him into more of a national profile,” he said.

Ghiz is a friend of Trudeau’s but he has already ruled out running in the next federal election. He said he is planning to take about six months off to spend time with his family and consider his options.

“Sometimes taking time off you rest up and you’ll get excited again about things and maybe I’ll want to get involved sometime down the road,” he said in an earlier interview. “But in the short term, definitely not.”

Ghiz will be replaced as Liberal leader Saturday afternoon by Wade MacLauchlan. The former president of the University Prince Edward Island is the only person who sought to replace Ghiz and is scheduled to be sworn in as premier on Monday.

P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz’s decision to walk away from politics, at least for now, was unexpected.

He leaves the stage this weekend at the age of 41 and P.E.I.’s Liberal party still commands a large majority in the legislature after his 12 years in office.

That’s leaving some wondering whether this is a political hiatus or a retirement.

For Ghiz, an election this year led him to consider whether he still has the drive a politician needs on the campaign trail.

“Why go? One thing, fire in the belly,” Ghiz said in an interview.

“That’s on the road, every single night, going to nominations or going to fundraisers, or going to events. Three young kids at home too. It’s not easy to be on the road every single night for a year straight.”

Don Desserud, a political science professor at the University of Prince Edward Island and a keen observer of Canadian politics, doesn’t think the country has seen the last of Ghiz as a politician.

“I’d be amazed if he didn’t find something that brought him into more of a national profile,” he said.

Ghiz is a friend of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau’s, but he has already ruled out running in the next federal election. He is planning to take about six months off to spend time with his family and consider his options.

“Sometimes taking time off you rest up and you’ll get excited again about things and maybe I’ll want to get involved sometime down the road,” he said. “But in the short term, definitely not.”

The Ghiz family name is a respected one in Island politics. Robert has continued the Ghiz legacy, started when his father Joe served as a popular premier from 1986 to 1993.

The younger Ghiz is leaving pleased with his time in office.

“I’m happy with the last 12 years,” he said, citing among his accomplishments changes in education that include the introduction of a full-day kindergarten program and a new bursary to help Islanders pay for university and college.

Governing through a recession was difficult, he said, and that led to unpopular decisions like closing some schools and introducing the harmonized sales tax.

“I believe that we made good public policy decisions that may not have been the best political decisions, but I think they get respected in the long run,” Ghiz said.

Desserud described Ghiz as a cautious premier who didn’t try the kinds of big fixes that have led to the downfall of other premiers.

But there have also been some controversies that dogged Ghiz’s tenure, Desserud said, such as the provincial nominee program to boost immigration to the province.

Three former government employees raised allegations of fraud and bribery involving senior government officials who administered the immigrant investor program. The RCMP investigated but no charges were laid.

“The provincial nominee program is still an issue that people are concerned about and there is still some mystery surrounding exactly what happened and who was involved,” Desserud said.

The government’s decision to reroute the Trans-Canada Highway through forest lands also upset environmentalists in the province.

Ghiz will be replaced as Liberal leader Saturday afternoon by Wade MacLauchlan. The former president of the University Prince Edward Island is the only person who sought to replace Ghiz and is scheduled to be sworn in as premier on Monday.

Here are five things to know about Robert Ghiz’s time as premier of Prince Edward Island:

1. Led his Liberal party to a majority government in 2007, winning 23 of 27 seats. His government was re-elected four years later with 22 seats.

2. Introduced full-day kindergarten in 2011.

3. Served at a time when agriculture and fisheries exports grew.

4. His government was dogged by allegations of fraud and bribery involving an immigrant investor program. The RCMP investigated and no charges were laid.

5. Oversaw yearlong celebrations last year to mark the 150th anniversary of the meeting of the Fathers of Confederation in Charlottetown.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/if-departing-premier-has-national-ambitions-he-isnt-saying/feed/0Premier Robert Ghiz of Prince Edward Island will resignhttp://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/premier-robert-ghiz-of-prince-edward-island-says-he-will-resign/
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/premier-robert-ghiz-of-prince-edward-island-says-he-will-resign/#commentsThu, 13 Nov 2014 22:50:36 +0000The Canadian Presshttp://www.macleans.ca/?p=638861Ghiz, the longest-serving current premier, does not rule out a federal run

CHARLOTTETOWN – Robert Ghiz is stepping down as premier of Prince Edward Island, saying his time is up in provincial politics but he could still make a career in the federal arena.

Ghiz said Thursday he will remain as premier until a leadership convention in the new year, handing over the party at a time when the Liberals are far ahead in the polls and the opposition parties are struggling.

Political scientist Peter McKenna of the University of Prince Edward Island said he was stunned by Ghiz’s decision.

“He’s 20 points up in the polls, the Conservatives don’t have a leader … there was a clear track to win in the next election,” he said.

“I’m scratching my head. … It’s unusual that a premier who has really hit his stride and is cruising to victory in the next election would step aside.”

But Ghiz said it is best to leave while enjoying success.

“You see more politicians stay longer than they probably should. … Sometimes you just need to say for the sake of the province and the party and yourself, you’re better off moving on.”

Ghiz said his decision also gives the party enough time to prepare for the next election, which is set for October 2015 but could be moved to a date earlier or later if the federal election is scheduled for the same time.

“There’s always time for renewal,” said Ghiz, who first became premier at the age of 33 in 2007.

“I’m proud of our record but I’m also proud of the team that’s going to be here to continue on.”

Ghiz followed his father’s footsteps into the premier’s office.

Joe Ghiz served as premier from 1986 to 1993. He died at the age of 51 in 1996.

After his father’s death, Robert Ghiz spent the early years of his career in Ottawa, working as the Atlantic Canada adviser to former prime minister Jean Chretien.

As a friend of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Ghiz said a return to a federal role is a possibility after he spends more time with his wife and three children, aged five, three and one.

“As of now, I don’t have anything specific, but as you know I am a friend of Justin and a fan of Justin and I guess we’ll wait and see,” he said during a news conference announcing his departure.

In an interview later, Ghiz said he won’t make a political comeback in the next federal election.

“If I wait two elections, I’m 49 years old. That’s still relatively young in political years. I’m going to keep my options open,” he said.

Ghiz, now 40, has been the leader of the P.E.I. Liberals for 12 years. He took the helm of the party when it was mired in debt and had only one elected member in the legislature.

He leaves with the provincial Liberals in solid command of the house, holding 23 of its 27 seats.

McKenna said 18 months ago, Ghiz came to his classroom and on the way out he told the professor he expected to run in one more provincial election.

The premier said he changed his mind recently as he reflected on the benefits of handing over a strong party to a new leader well in advance of the next election.

“I’ve gone back and forth: Is this what I really want to do? But I look at it. I’m not at the stage of my career when I’m ready to retire. … I hope to do other things in my life.”

Ghiz said his greatest accomplishment while in office has been introducing improvements in education for small children.

“My best day as premier was when we introduced a full-day kindergarten program and ensured a stronger start for an entire generation of young Islanders,” he said.

At his news conference, Ghiz said the unemployment rate on the Island has been lower than 10 per cent for the last number of months and the economy is strong.

However, Ghiz’s government has faced criticisms as well.

The Liberals have held power during a series of pesticide spills that have caused thousands of dead fish to wash up on riverbanks.

In the last election, a former government employee alleged the province’s immigration nominee program had been marred by mismanagement.

Ghiz defended his record, saying the government’s immigration programs have helped increase the province’s population and he has to balance environmental laws with the reality that agriculture is the top industry in P.E.I.

“I’ll be the first to admit I’m not leaving a province that is perfect, but I believe the difference between 2007 and 2014 is significant,” he said.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/premier-robert-ghiz-of-prince-edward-island-says-he-will-resign/feed/0Three found dead in Prince Edward Island firehttp://www.macleans.ca/news/three-dead-found-dead-in-prince-edward-island-fire/
http://www.macleans.ca/news/three-dead-found-dead-in-prince-edward-island-fire/#commentsSat, 29 Mar 2014 20:59:41 +0000The Canadian Presshttp://www.macleans.ca/?p=532961An early morning fire broke out at a vacant building and destroyed the building in minutes

CHARLOTTETOWN – A fire that broke out in a vacant building where three people were found dead early Saturday engulfed the structure within minutes, according to a man who says he lives next door.

Reggie Jameson, who lives across from the building on a former driving range in the Prince Edward Island capital, said he woke up at about 5:30 a.m. after hearing sirens and looked out his window to find the vacant building was on fire.

“Just one corner of the building, you could see a little bit of flames,” said Jameson in a phone interview from his home on Saturday. “Within two to five minutes the whole building was engulfed.

“It just kept getting worse and worse as more fire engines showed up.”

The Charlottetown Police Service said an officer on patrol in the area had come across the fire and an injured male.

Deputy Chief Gary McGuigan said the man told the officer that there could be more people inside the building.

“The officer went to the building and attempted to enter but was pushed back by the intense heat and smoke,” said McGuigan.

The injured male was airlifted to a hospital in Halifax.

McGuigan said after the fire was extinguished roughly two hours later, three bodies were found inside.

Jameson, 24, said he could see flames shooting out of the building from every direction.

He said when he learned that three people died in the fire, it came as a shock because the building is abandoned and boarded up.

“There’s no power hook ups to it, there’s nothing. There’s three feet of snow in front of it,” said Jameson, who has lived near the building for about two years. “It never occurred to me that anyone was inside.”

But Jameson said he has occasionally seen flashlights and heard people talking inside the building late at night, but usually only during the summer.

Police said investigators were working to determine the identity of the victims and the cause of the fire.

McGuigan said the area was blocked off on Saturday and fire investigators would remain on scene into Sunday.

Prince Edward Island, that picturesque clump adrift in the Gulf of St Lawrence, is home to some 145,000 souls. In addition to being mostly lovely people—I’ve been there plenty, I know—they are collectively the most politically powerful in Canada. They have the most elected and non-elected representatives per resident in the country. And because of this, they stand firmly in the way of Senate reform.

As you’ve probably heard, the Senate isn’t at all popular these days. A Nanos Research poll conducted in the thick of last summer’s Duff-gate extravaganza suggested 94 per cent of Canadians were unsatisfied with the Senate status quo—including 41 per cent who want it abolished outright.

These are drool-worthy numbers for would-be Senate abolitionists, among them Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Though he has notably dragged his feet on the subject, preferring instead to appoint Senators with the addled pace of your average Liberal prime minister, Harper would like nothing more than to see the curtains close on the Senate. If nothing else, his appointees have made the red velour chamber an embarrassment to the Conservative brand.

Yet Prince Edward Island stands in the way. The Constitution guarantees PEI four unelected senators, and P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz will be gosh-darned if he’ll give them up. Don’t get him wrong: Ghiz said he understands the Senate is unpopular. He’s even in favour of a broad reform of the upper house.

Alas, for Ghiz, politics seemingly trumps idealism. “I would be a fool to give up any of the influence that we have in Ottawa, and I’m not going to let that happen,” Ghiz told the Globe and Mail’s Campbell Clark. His obstinacy won’t change, Ghiz added, even in the event of overwhelming, countrywide referendum results.

The premier’s chutzpah is impressive. With one senator for every 37,000 residents, you might say Islanders are a bit spoiled already. (By contrast, Alberta’s ratio is roughly one senator for 608,000 residents.) And even though numbers suggest it is well served by its patronage appointments, the scandal that is Mike Duffy has cast a lasting pall over Island politics.

Duffy isn’t what an Islander would call an Islander. His heedless ambition kept him rooted to Canada’s mainland for more than half his life, though he was never above waving his P.E.I. credentials when it suited him. At best, P.E.I. was an occasional vacation stop. At worst, it was a convenient address when Harper was handing out Senate appointments.

Most Islanders, who seem as disgusted by the Senate’s chronic overindulgences as everyone else, rightfully disdain Duffy. At a recent recording of CBC’s Q in Charlottetown, the audience erupted in a chorus of boos at the mere mention of Duffy’s name. Good on them: Duffy is exactly the kind of patronage boogeyman P.E.I. politicians need to reconsider their Senate addiction.

Other provinces are certainly doing so. Like P.E.I., Quebec worries about the exploding population in the western provinces, and what effect it will have on its political power. Yet the NDP is pushing ahead with its plan to abolish the thing entirely. Because the party’s power base is in Quebec, it is seemingly a huge gamble. Yet NDP leader Tom Mulcair, to his credit, is so sure of Quebecers’ collective disdain for the upper house that he’s pushing ahead regardless.

Ghiz, a Liberal, might take some inspiration from his orange-hued federal counterpart. The prettiest province in the country shouldn’t be an obstacle to the will of its own people, or Canadians in general.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/maverick-watch-pei-edition/feed/10What the hell happened here?http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-commons-what-the-hell-happened-here/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-commons-what-the-hell-happened-here/#commentsThu, 23 May 2013 21:45:37 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=387215The Commons: Of Wright and Duffy and the Senate, there is only one question that needs be answered

“The Senate audit report contradicted this and concluded that Senator Duffy’s primary residence was Ottawa not P.E.I. Yet when the final report was tabled, this key paragraph had been erased,” the New Democrat now charged. “Last night, we learned that the Prime Minister’s former communications director, now a senator, helped whitewash the Duffy report. Can the government tell us whether anyone in the PMO was aware that this report contradicted their Prime Minister?”

In an alternate universe, of course, Mike Duffy was never appointed to the Senate to represent Prince Edward Island. In a third, and even better, universe, there was never even a Senate to which to appoint him.

It was here James Moore’s duty to stand and lead the government response, John Baird apparently elsewhere recovering from having to stand 23 times yesterday.

“Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the Senate report does reflect the findings of the auditor, the auditor, by the way, that both the opposition and the government agreed should be brought in, an independent, outside auditor,” Mr. Moore offered with the first of 22 responses for him this afternoon. “The report reflected that finding. I understand, of course, that new questions have been raised. That is why the Senate is looking at the matter again, and that is also why the Ethics Commissioner is looking into this, as is the Office of the Senate Ethics Commission.”

“These questions are being raised,” Mr. Moore continued. “They are being put forward. They will be answered.”

It is nice to think that they might, because as of now there are almost only questions without answers. And while new questions do indeed continue to be raised about this and that and who did or did not do whatever however, the question that has been with us since nine days ago when CTV reported the existence of some kind of arrangement between Mr. Duffy and Nigel Wright remains primary.

What the hell happened here?

It is the Prime Minister’s assurance that he knew nothing of the cheque until it became a matter of national news. But the questions of what the Prime Minister knew and when he knew it are actually quite secondary. First we need to know what it is that he could have theoretically known about. And right now we don’t know that.

Was there an agreement between Mr. Wright and Mr. Duffy? If so, what did it entail? If Mr. Wright wrote a cheque, why did Mr. Duffy take out a loan? Did Mr. Duffy take out a loan? Why did Mr. Wright write a cheque? If there was an agreement, did it involve anything more than money? And was anyone else involved in the discussions between Mr. Wright and Mr. Duffy?

In the absence of anything like clarity about much of anything, we are left to parse every sentence of every statement uttered or released by anyone who might be even vaguely connected to whatever it is that might have occurred. This is no way to live.

“Were any lawyers in the PMO aware of what Nigel Wright and Senator Duffy were cooking up?” Mr. Christopherson begged awhile later.

“Mr. Speaker, we are not aware of any legal agreement between Mr. Wright and Mr. Duffy. It is as simple as that,” Mr. Moore responded, not answering the question at all.

Even in not providing any new insight to what the hell happened here, Mr. Moore managed to stumble. “Nigel Wright says that he acted solely,” Mr. Moore said at one point. But if Mr. Wright has said this, it is not clear where. In the statement issued upon his resignation, Mr. Wright said only that he had not informed the Prime Minister of whatever it was he did.

The Liberals and New Democrats seem interested in an email of February 20. The Liberals seem to believe the government is in possession of it. But if the government does possess it, it’s not saying.

“Mr. Speaker, first things first,” Mr. Moore declared in response to some parsing of the Prime Minister’s comments yesterday by the NDP’s Craig Scott. “As I have said a few times now, the independent Ethics Commissioner is looking into this. Before my honourable colleague starts handing out these kinds of assessments, he might want to wait for that report to come back. That is first.”

Waiting seems a rather unsatisfactory option here.

“Second of all, of course, we agree with the leadership that the Prime Minister has shown in ensuring that taxpayers’ money is spent in a responsible way not only in the Senate but also in the House, and also by his staff,” Mr. Moore continued. “What Nigel Wright did was wrong. The Prime Minister was very clear about that. When he offered his resignation, the Prime Minister accepted it immediately because Canadians need to know that they have a prime minister that they can trust with their money, and they do.”

This did not seem to convince the NDP’s Nathan Cullen.

“The government is patting itself on the back when Canadians want answers. They are fed up with these non-answers, carefully parsed words and double speak from Conservatives,” the opposition House leader ventured. “Conservatives are now so desperate that they trust Liberal senators to get to the bottom of this scandal. We have asked for legal documents, but maybe all along we should have been asking for the illegal documents as well.”

Mr. Cullen offered a question and a plea.

“Did the Prime Minister ask Nigel Wright or Carolyn Stewart Olsen to look into the scandal about Mike Duffy? Enough with the spin, just give us a straight answer, for once,” he begged, chopping his hand.

In lieu of an answer, Mr. Moore offered something of a meditation on the realities of parliamentary democracy.

“As we have said, Mr. Speaker, no matter what it is that we say, the reality is the opposition is going to attack,” he lamented. “What is important here for taxpayers is that there is a process in place to examine all these questions, again, not just in 30-second exchanges in the House of Commons.”

And so perhaps any and all documents related to this matter could be tabled in the House. And perhaps we could all agree that Mr. Wright should be invited to testify under oath before a parliamentary committee for a few hours or however long it takes to understand precisely what the hell happened here.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-commons-what-the-hell-happened-here/feed/13Mike Duffy does not want to be a distractionhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/mike-duffy-does-not-want-to-be-a-distraction/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/mike-duffy-does-not-want-to-be-a-distraction/#commentsFri, 22 Feb 2013 22:31:02 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=353494The Senator will repay those living expenses

Senator Mike Duffy apparently visited the CBC studio in Charlottetown this afternoon to say he’ll be paying back the living expenses he claimed in regards to his home in Ottawa.

“Everywhere I go, people are talking. Well where do you live? What’s it all about? …,” he said. “It’s become a major distraction. “So my wife and I discussed it, and we decided that in order to turn the page, to put all this behind us, we are going to voluntarily pay back my living expenses related to the house we have in Ottawa.”

Duffy blamed the Senate for having unclear rules and forms. “We are going to pay it back, and until the rules are clear — and they’re not clear now, the forms are not clear, and I hope the Senate will redo the forms to make them clear — I will not claim the housing allowance.”

Senator Duffy has also now spoken to CTV. His tab for living expenses is reported to be a little over $42,000.

Four years ago, I was given the opportunity to sit in the Senate as a voice for Prince Edward Islanders in Ottawa. I jumped at the chance. I was born here, I was raised here, I own a house here, I pay property taxes here, and most important, my heart is here.

I also started my career here, and took my Island sensibilities along when I was covering politics in Ottawa.

Being a Senator has allowed me to do a lot of good for PEI communities. And there is a lot more to be done.

Recently questions have been raised about my eligibility for the housing allowance provided to MPs and Senators.

The Senate rules on housing allowances aren’t clear, and the forms are confusing. I filled out the Senate forms in good faith and believed I was in compliance with the rules.

Now it turns out I may have been mistaken.

Rather than let this issue drag on, my wife and I have decided that the allowance associated with my house in Ottawa will be repaid.

I want there to be no doubt that I’m serving Islanders first.

Update 5:42pm. A Conservative source tells me, “the government has no doubt whatsoever about Senator Duffy’s qualification to represent PEI in the Senate.”

“We have committed to ensuring that all expenses are appropriate, that the rules governing expenses are appropriate and to report back to the public on these matters. Senator Duffy maintains a residence in Prince Edward Island and has deep ties to the province.”

Update 6:22pm. A statement from NDP MP Charlie Angus.

Mike Duffy now says that he may have made a mistake when claiming tens of thousands of dollars of living expenses in Ottawa. If you break the rules, saying “I’m sorry” just doesn’t cut it. There must be consequences. What discipline will the Senator face?

Mr. Duffy’s track record on this is troubling. He denied any problem and ran away from questions. It seems some Senators will do almost anything to avoid accountability.

If any forms were falsified in order to try and get extra expense money, the Senate should immediately refer the matter to the police.

Senator Duffy has also still not addressed the question of whether he has met the obligations to be a Senator from Prince Edward Island.

Conservatives are now sending out inspectors to the homes of EI recipients. Perhaps what they should be doing is sending out inspectors to the homes of Conservative and Liberal Senators.

While Conservatives continue to defend the entitlements of their Senators, the NDP will continue to stand up for Canadian taxpayers.

The Senate committee on internal economy announced this morning that it has referred the “residency declarations and related expenses” of senators Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb to an independent auditor. The committee is also “seeking legal advice on the question of Senator Duffy’s residency.”

In response, Senator Duffy has issued the following statement.

“As a Prince Edward Islander, born and bred, I am proud to represent my province and its interests in the Senate of Canada.

I represent taxpayers with care, and Canadians know I would never do anything to betray the public trust. I have a home in Prince Edward Island as required by law. I will have no further comment until this review is complete.”

Records obtained by The Guardian Tuesday from the provincial taxation and property division office show Duffy and his wife Heather are identified as non-resident owners of their Cavendish cottage and thus pay higher property taxes.

Prince Edward Island charges 50 per cent more in property taxes to owners who are not permanent residents of the Island. In order to get the lower tax rate, one must reside in the province for 183 days consecutively. The P.E.I. government does not currently offer Duffy the lower permanent resident rate and identifies him as a non-resident.

Senator Duffy also wasn’t on the PEI voters list in 2011 and cast a ballot in that year’s Ontario election. This matters because Section 23(5) of the Constitution Act specifies that a senator “shall be resident of in the Province for which he is appointed.”

Last December, it was reported that Senator Duffy was claiming living expenses for his time in Ottawa. Amid an audit of the expenses claimed by some senators, Senator Duffy appealed to the PEI health minister’s office to expedite a request for a provincial health card. The Star has video of Senator Duffy’s Cavendish cottage.

Diane Finley talks to the Post about the case of Marlene Giersdorf, the Prince Edward Island woman who has been cut off from EI benefits.

Q And what’s your reaction to what you’ve seen so far?

A Personal circumstances will always be taken into consideration in determining someone’s eligibility. For example, if they don’t have transportation to another community where a job is, that will be taken into consideration. Child care responsibilities and costs will be taken into consideration because we want to make sure that when people work, they’re better off than when they don’t. That being said, Service Canada officials can only take into consideration the information that they have. If the claimant doesn’t provide all of the relevant individual circumstances, then Service Canada can only go with the information they have.

Q In this particular situation, do you know if the individual did provide that information to Service Canada?

A Service Canada has made multiple attempts to talk with her, to review her file, to go over the options, to get all of the information. But it had no success in reaching her and I really encourage her to get in touch with them.

Ms. Giersdorf, meanwhile, says she’s tried to contact Service Canada and also that she’s been protesting just outside a Service Canada office. And then there is bit of back-and-forth.

Last week, Queen said there were half a dozen jobs in Montague the woman could have applied for; however, Geirsdorf said they were all beyond her qualifications. Officials also say there is more to the EI case than meets the eye, but can’t discuss it.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-case-of-marlene-giersdorf/feed/6Marlene Giersdorf: The new face of EI reformhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/marlene-giersdorf-the-new-face-of-ei-reform/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/marlene-giersdorf-the-new-face-of-ei-reform/#commentsTue, 15 Jan 2013 16:33:04 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=337361A single mother in Montague, Prince Edward Island has apparently been denied EI benefits because she can’t get to Charlottetown and her story has apparently struck a chord in PEI.…

A single mother in Montague, Prince Edward Island has apparently been denied EI benefits because she can’t get to Charlottetown and her story has apparently struck a chord in PEI. The National Post talks to her.

Q: Why don’t you apply in Charlottetown?A: I could probably make a living in Charlottetown, but due to the fact that I do only rely on family and close, close, close friends that I don’t have a lot of, I’d be ruined personally. And my child, I fought tooth and nail with my ex to have him go to Montague [Consolidated School]. If I relocated into Charlottetown, who’s going to drive all the way from Montague to drive me in the summertime, when my son’s not in school, to pick him up? You know, I have 50/50 custody. I would have no transportation whatsoever, I would have to rely on cabs.

Q: If you were to get a job in Charlottetown that paid well, would you be able to get a car?A: No. I wouldn’t be able to even make it to the job to make enough money to get a car. And if I was hired on in Charlottetown I’d have to refuse the job because I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that I could get to my shifts everyday.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one: by forming a Maritime union, the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will finally have the clout necessary to fix what ails them. When three Tory senators from the region suggested such a merger last week, it was the latest in a long line of failed attempts at provincial matrimony. With a backlash already under way, it’s hard to see this proposal ending any differently.

There’s no question the provinces face huge problems. Unemployment is well above the national average, their populations are aging rapidly, and the region is increasingly dependent on federal support even as Ottawa grows stingy. Proponents of a union say a consolidated bureaucracy would be more cost-effective, and the provinces would not have to compete against each other for investment.

Similar arguments were made back in 1864, when politicians from the Maritime colonies met in Charlottetown to talk about forming a union, but their plans were derailed when Sir John A. Macdonald arrived with a plentiful supply of champagne and a rather larger proposal—the Dominion of Canada. A century later New Brunswick premier Louis Robichaud proposed an Atlantic Canada union (including Newfoundland). Observers thought he was joking. Then in the 1970s, with Quebec separatist sentiment rising, a union was eyed in case the struggling region found itself cut off.

Canada’s tiniest province is the most vocal opponent of this latest merger proposal, with P.E.I. Premier Rob Ghiz calling it “preposterous.” Still, P.E.I. had much the same response when Confederation was discussed in 1864. Nine years later, facing a debt crisis, the province reconsidered. Perhaps all the Maritime union needs is more time.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/an-unwelcome-proposal/feed/1The Commons: Of algebra, the premiers and a new mom named Jenniferhttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-commons-of-algebra-the-premiers-and-a-new-mom-named-jennifer/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-commons-of-algebra-the-premiers-and-a-new-mom-named-jennifer/#commentsThu, 20 Sep 2012 21:53:21 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=295831The PM, it seems, has a conversation with a premier every 9.7 days on average

The Scene. It was of something Peter Van Loan said in his third response yesterday that Thomas Mulcair asked his first question today.

“Does the Prime Minister agree,” the NDP leader asked, “that employment insurance is, to quote his House leader, ‘an incentive for people to be unemployed?’ ”

Mr. Harper stood and clarified the necessity of employment insurance and asserted his interest in seeing people find jobs. Then he attempted to deal with the details.

“In the past, the way employment insurance worked was that individuals who went back to work lost dollar for dollar everything that they gained when they returned to work,” he said. “For the vast majority of people that is what happened. We are trying to make sure that Canadians can go back to work and continue to benefit.”

Mr. Mulcair proceeded to venture that Mr. Harper was not much interested in helping the unemployed. And, further, that Mr. Harper’s lack of interest extended to various people and concepts. ”Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not interested in meeting with the premiers. He is not interested in working together. He is not interested in the unemployed,” the NDP leader alleged. “He will travel around the world to Davos, to South America, to China but he will not even sit down with Canadian premiers. In seven years he has only met with the premiers once, the worst record of any prime minister.”

There was grumbling from the government side.

“Why will the Prime Minister not even listen to the people on the ground?” Mr. Mulcair asked. “Why will the Prime Minister not work together with his own fellow Canadians here at home?”

Mr. Harper has actually met with the premiers en masse twice—in November 2008 and January 2009. But the Prime Minister had an even more impressive-sounding number to table here.

“On the contrary, Mr. Speaker,” he responded. “I have met in person or spoken by telephone with Canadian premiers 250 times since 2006.”

This didn’t quite explain why Mr. Harper does not wish to meet with the premiers this fall, but the Conservatives stood to applaud their man’s communications skills all the same.

The math here is tricky—a summit with all the premiers apparently only counts as one meeting in the Prime Minister’s tally—but roughly speaking it would seem the Prime Minister has a conversation with a premier every 9.7 days. This is more often than you probably speak to some of your friends, but less often than you should be calling your mother (and if one imagines a premier exists somewhere between a friend and a familial relation for a prime minister, that seems about right). But there are 13 premiers and territorial leaders. If Mr. Harper were going nearly ten days between calling one, it might take him four months to speak with each of them. So how to know what to make of this number? (Perhaps the real measure should be how often Mr. Harper has called Robert Ghiz as compared to how often previous prime ministers checked in on Prince Edward Island. Perhaps something of a Mendoza Line for cooperative federalism could be established.)

“Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development just not know that prior to August 5, EI claimants could earn 40% of their weekly benefits without any penalty?” Wayne Easter wondered from the far end of the room in his sing-songy whine. ”Take Jennifer, a registered nurse in my riding on parental leave. Jennifer worked part-time to fill nursing-care shortages and keep up her skills. However, the government now has clawed back 50¢ on every dollar earned, making her worse off with the changes. Will the Prime Minister explain to this new mom on parental leave why he is taking half her wages for covering nursing shortages?”

“Mr. Speaker, what the honourable member conveniently ignores is the rest of this story,” the Human Resources Minister reprimanded. “That is that if Jennifer had worked more than 40%, every single dollar that she earned would have been clawed back on her EI. That is a disincentive to work. Our country cannot afford that. We have a shortage of skills and labour right across this country in a wide range of sectors and industries and professions. As a government, we want to ensure that Canadians are always better off when they are working. We are working toward that goal and we will continue to work toward that goal.”

“She doesn’t get it!” called a voice from the Liberal corner.

Now it was Rodger Cuzner’s turn to test the minister’s problem-solving skills. “The basic math shows that anybody who makes $260 a week or under is penalized under these rule changes. Stats Canada figures show us that part-time workers’ median income is $230 a week. So that would tell me that EI recipients who are working part-time are being penalized,” Mr. Cuzner concluded. “When will the minister admit that there is a problem and come and fix this problem?”

Ms. Finley opted here for optimism. “Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of people who are working on a claim will indeed be better off,” she offered. “That was our goal: to ensure that we have all the talented work that we can get. And we are working to connect Canadians with jobs. That is something the Liberals did not do.”

There were more grumbles from the Liberal corner. “It’s not working!” called a voice.

“We want to help,” Ms. Finley explained. “We will continue to improve the program so that our goals are achieved.”

Perhaps we might straighten all of this out with conference call between the premiers, the Prime Minister and Jennifer.

How many federal officials does it take to answer a few questions about a $500 grant for a tea party in Prince Edward Island in honour of the Queen?

According to e-mails recently released by the federal government under Access to Information, the answer is: 21.

Back in May, Maclean’s decided to write a small light-hearted story about the federal government’s $2 million fund for cities and towns to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

Local media stories in Prince Edward Island highlighted the fact that the tiny province had been budgeted to receive $170,000, the second-largest sum in the country, behind Ontario. It was a surprising fact given that Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, hadn’t actually planned any stops in PEI on their Canadian tour.

The money included funding for some modest community celebrations in the province, such as $500 for the community of Clyde River to host a tea party for about 75 people and another $500 for the Town of Alberton to host a flag-raising and tree-planting ceremony.

The funding was hardly scandalous, but the question was, why did PEI get so much? Was it because other provinces weren’t quite as enthusiastic about the monarchy? Or did Canada’s smallest province just have the best proposals to honour the Queen?

We wanted to find out more about how the Jubilee money was being divided across the country and whether some provinces were asking for more than others.

The answers seemed fairly simple and had apparently already been made public in a report tabled in the House of Commons back in April, in response to a question on Jubilee spending by NDP MP Tyrone Benskin.

So on May 14, Maclean’s called Canadian Heritage, which was organizing the Jubilee funding, to ask for a copy of the report. We mentioned that we needed it by the end of the day, or early the next morning, in order to meet the deadline for the following week’s issue.

What ensued, as you can see here, was four days of debate involving nearly two dozen different bureaucrats, 74 pages of e-mails, and several layers of approvals and corrections.

• First, a media analyst labels the “anticipated tone” of the story to be “informative” and suggests the department should be able to meet the deadline. “Between you and I no need to ask for an extension,” he writes to a communications advisor. “Either today for 5 p.m. or tomorrow morning.”

• According to the e-mails, a parliamentary staffer was able to track down a PDF copy of the report within about an hour and mail it to the department’s communications staff.

Bu instead of forwarding it onto Maclean’s, communications staff proceeded to debate whether the report constituted public information. By the next morning they confirmed the report “is public and available to everyone,” but decided they should send Maclean’s to the Library of Parliament to get it, a process that entailed several more phone calls.

• After reading the report, which details how much the government expected to give to each province, but not how much was ultimately approved, we called back to ask a few more questions: How much money did each province apply for and how much did they receive? Could they offer a few examples of other smaller community projects in PEI that had been approved for funding?

• A media analyst suggested giving Maclean’s some information that had already been made public to other reporters, including the number of applications each province had submitted and how many of them had been approved. “Allow me to reiterate that we are being asked to respond by close of business day,” he writes.

Instead, department staff spent the next two days going over the numbers. The head of Celebrations and Commemoration Program worried that “there needs to be contexte [sic] provided, in that the figures presented were based on amounts requested, not approved, and were in flux (subject to change) as applications were processed” and that not all of the funding requests had been processed.

• By 3 p.m. on May 15, a day after the request, the department’s manager of public affairs e-mailed to see whether department officials had finished going over the numbers. “Update please?” she asks. “The deadline is close and we need to get approvals.”

• About 90 minutes later, the department had finally come up with a list. But the process dragged on throughout the day for what appears to be approvals by three separate offices, the Executive Director of Major Events and Celebrations, the Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office, and Heritage Minister James Moore’s office.

• A day later, during yet another round of approvals, a staff member from the Privy Council noticed that one answer — a description of a $500 grant for a community celebration in PEI — “appears to have been given twice, but with a different title” and required Canadian Heritage staff to review the information once again.

By 5:30 p.m. on May 17, Canadian Heritage finally provided us with all the answers — four days after we asked for it and after the issue containing the story had already hit newsstands.

An addendum to this story:

As it turns out, Prince Edward Islanders were indeed some of the most enthusiastic when it came to celebration the Queen, requesting $231,801 for Diamond Jubilee-related festivals compared to $186,666 requested by Alberta.

But almost every province and territory celebrating the Queen’s 60-year reign requested more from the federal government to than Ottawa had budgeted. B.C., for instance, wanted nearly $500,000 for Jubilee celebrations but got less than $100,000. Saskatchewan asked for almost $275,000 and received $60,500. Ontario requested nearly $650,000 or almost twice the amount the federal government had budgeted for the province. It ultimately received just $218,000.

Quebec and Nunavut were apparently the least excited about the Queen, both failing to ask for the full amount that had been set aside for them by the federal government.

*Footnote: As the federal government made pains to point out the figures here represent the first of two rounds of funding from Ottawa for Jubilee celebrations.

THEN: There are many who still keep fond memories of the old ferry that linked Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, and which was officially a part of the Trans-Canada Highway.

MV Abegweit

The original Abegweit ferry could carry almost a thousand passengers (though only 60 cars) while it also broke ice during the winter on the Northumberland Strait. It was replaced in 1981 by a much larger ship that could carry 250 cars; it was also called Abegweit, the local Mi’kmaq word for Prince Edward Island, meaning “cradled on the waves.” However, as journalist Walter Stewart observed in his book “My Cross-Country Checkup,” ferrygoers often preferred to call the ship “A Big Wait,” which was frequently appropriate.

The newer ship was disposed of when the 1997 completion of the 13-kilometre Confederation Bridge made a ferry service redundant. According to Wikipedia, the ship was sold to a broker in Texas who eventually sold it to a buyer in India, and it was sailed across the Atlantic and through the Mediterranean on its last voyage, to be scrapped in India in 1994 2004.

Abby in Chicago

But the older ship found a much better fate. It was bought by the Chicago Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago, which had been refused permission by the city to construct a clubhouse on its stretch of waterfront. The club bought the ship, now called the Abby, and moored it permanently at its property to serve as its clubhouse. She was even given a fresh paint job a couple of years ago, so she looks good as new.

NOW: The ferry may still be remembered fondly, but Islanders won’t trade their Confederation Bridge for anything. It’s a remarkable feat of engineering that turned 15 years old on June 1.

Confederation Bridge

It took four years to build the bridge, and at 13 kilometres long, it’s officially the longest bridge in the world that crosses ice-covered water. Among other bridges over water, though, it doesn’t even make the top 15 – it’s dwarfed by the longest bridge of them all, the Qingdao Haiwan bridge in China, which stretches almost 43 kilometres, followed closely in the stakes by the Lake Pontchartrain Bridge in Louisiana, at more than 38 kilometres.

The bridge is 40-to-60 metres high and 11 metres wide, with one lane each way and no overtaking allowed anywhere. Pedestrians and cyclists must travel by shuttle bus, but the guardrails are just 1.1 metres tall, giving enough space to still allow drivers a view of the strait.

It was built by the private consortium Strait Crossing Development Inc. at an estimated cost of $840 million dollars – $210 million over its initial budget. The federal government still has to pay for it, though, sending annual cheques to the consortium of $41.9 million until 2032, at which time it takes over ownership. And the consortium gets to keep the tolls till then, too.

Mark of Green Gables

SOMETHING DIFFERENT … When tourists think of Prince Edward Island, they think of beaches and potatoes – and Anne of Green Gables. When Japanese tourists think of Prince Edward Island, they don’t even bother with the beaches and potatoes.

Anne is huge here, and there are thousands of potential mementoes of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s red-haired, freckle-faced creation. As Walter Stewart also wrote in his book, “we have been able to avoid Anne vibrators and Green Gables garbage bags,” but pretty much everything else is available, including straw hats with built-in pigtails.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/general/day-11-on-the-trans-canada-sackville-nb/feed/11Day 10 on the Trans-Canada, Borden, PEIhttp://www.macleans.ca/general/day-10-on-the-trans-canada-borden-pei/
http://www.macleans.ca/general/day-10-on-the-trans-canada-borden-pei/#commentsThu, 14 Jun 2012 03:19:07 +0000Mark Richardsonhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=266946Trans-Canada distance: 1,317 kmActual distance driven: 2,531 kmTHEN: …The Trans-Canada Highway used to come right through the middle of town in Charlottetown, along Grafton Street and up University

THEN: The Trans-Canada Highway used to come right through the middle of town in Charlottetown, along Grafton Street and up University Avenue. This was common practice across the country in 1962, because merchants wanted the inevitable traffic from tourists.

In Montreal, for example, the Trans-Canada Highway was officially placed right on St. Catherine Street downtown. But the merchants also got the inevitable truck traffic that comes with hauling goods around the country, and there are now bypasses to redirect traffic around commercial centres.

The Charlottetown bypass did not begin construction until the early 1980s, but today it loops around the island’s capital city. Some 200 trucks use it on average each day, staying well clear of the centre of town.

NOW: At the risk of over-alliteration, Prince Edward Island is an impossibly pretty, postcard-perfect province, and the Trans-Canada Highway dips and winds its way directly through several communities on its way between the bridge and the ferry. This may be pleasant on the two-lane portions, but it’s not efficient – and it’s dangerous. More accidents occur along the 6.1 km stretch near New Haven than anywhere else, and so as I wrote in yesterday’s blog, the province is widening and straightening that portion of road. Thirty-five properties will no longer have their driveways opening directly onto the TCH.

Miller Choi, beside his gokart track

But not everyone is happy about this. “It doesn’t make any sense,” says Miller Choi, who owns the Bonshaw amusement park. There’s a small go-kart track on the 10 acres of land, as well as a pool for bumper boats and a mini-golf course, and it fronts directly onto the Trans-Canada. When the new road goes through on the other side of the trees behind, the amusement park will be cut off completely by the forest and drivers won’t see that it exists.

This was the first go-kart track in PEI and has been there for 42 years, says Choi. He doesn’t understand why the road is being directed behind his property and not in front of it, where it would continue to remove the sharp curve at the top of his hill.

The existing highway is blue, the new route is red and green

“I bought this place (in 2005) for its exposure onto the highway,” he says. “In the summer, we get more than a hundred visitors a day, but we’ll lose that. It will all be terribly worse, but the government doesn’t care.”

Choi wants the government to compensate him for lost business, or buy his property at a fair current price, but he’s heard nothing from enquiries he’s made. And he’s not the only person who’s affected by the new routing.

This 1862 house will be demolished for the new road

“I really don’t want to talk about it – everything’s in negotiations,” says the man who comes to the door of the white house on the other side of the hill. The house was built in 1862, and the new road will go right through its living room. He says he’s lived there for 47 years, but he doesn’t know where he’ll move to when his home is demolished for the road. As for protesting, he says he has no choice – when the government wants to do something, they just do it.

He does acknowledge, though, that the current stretch of road is dangerous. “There’s at least two, three, four times a year that people come knocking on my door and say they’ve put a car in the ditch,” he says.

Alex Calder is also losing part of his property’s lawn, but he’s circumspect about the situation.

“I can see the positives in it,” he says, pointing out how the new route will flatten the hill and remove two sharp S-curves. “Water drains down the road here and then freezes on the curve, where it’s in shadow, and cars, trucks hit the glare ice and that’s it for them. It’ll be a lot safer when it’s done, and that’s what’s important, isn’t it?”

Finding my way through PEI

SOMETHING INTERESTING: No, this isn’t just a beauty shot of the Camaro convertible (though it does look pretty good). It’s a photo that illustrates what happens when you rely on a GPS mapping program to find your way around.

If everything’s bigger in Texas, then everything is smaller on Prince Edward Island. That extends right down to its country lanes, including this one, Peters Road, which started out as a regular two-laner and then, well, petered down to this.

Earlier, I’d stopped in to visit the office of the Canadian Automobile Association in Charlottetown and the helpful staff had offered to give me directions and a TripTik to get to Green Gables country, but I turned them down because I’m a guy and guys don’t ask for directions. Should’ve listened… They say it’s fun to get lost and it can be, but I was worried for the wide tires on the rocks in the mud, not to mention the low-slung chassis.

All turned out OK, but next time I’m on Peters Road, it’ll be with a dirt bike.

THEN: When the federal government passed an Act, in 1949, to “encourage and assist the construction of a trans-Canada highway,” it proposed splitting the cost 50/50 with the provinces for the construction of a road that would be built to a uniformly high standard.

Quebec and all the eastern provinces were reluctant to agree, however, because they would have to spend money to improve existing roads they already considered good enough – with the exception of Prince Edward Island. PEI was pleased to sign right away on the dotted line. It wanted a bridge or a tunnel to connect it to the mainland, and it saw this co-operation as only beneficial toward that.

Of course, it also had by far the least amount of highway to construct: just 120 kilometres between the New Brunswick ferry at Borden and the Nova Scotia ferry at Wood Islands. Its relative costs were higher, though, since all gravel for the base had to be imported from Nova Scotia.

Robert Vessey, PEI Minister of Transportation and Works

NOW: PEI’s transport minister runs his finger along a smooth line on the map. “This is the new route the highway will be taking,” says Robert Vessey. He doesn’t need to waggle his finger along the other line, which twists sharply on the paper and is the current position of the road.

At Churchill, it needs realignment, he explains. People don’t like change, especially here on the Island, and there have been numerous public meetings to determine the new route that the Trans-Canada Highway should take in this area. It has to be done, though – there’s a higher accident rate on this stretch than anywhere else on the highway, thanks to the relatively tight turns and steep grades.

“We’re trying to avoid expropriation (of private land),” says Vessey. “We’re dealing with all the landowners and so far, we don’t have all the deals done, but we’re close. We’re negotiating–some are tougher than others, but so far, we haven’t expropriated any land.”

The existing road surface needed to be replaced anyway, thanks to the significantly increased heavy truck traffic from when it was first constructed in 1952. That would have cost the province $9 million. But if the Trans-Canada Highway is reconstructed, rather than just maintained, then the 1949 agreement still holds true and Ottawa will pay for half. The 6.1 kilometres of new road is estimated to cost $16 million, which means PEI need pay only half that, saving the province a million dollars and providing a safer highway, too.

Two peas in a pod?

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: This 1989 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet is “ a good little car,” says owner Scott Dawson, but he’s bought a newer model, a 2001, so it’s not needed anymore. If you’re not sure with the photo, the VW is the car on the left…

“It’s not a car I’ll let my children drive,” he says. “They’ll get somewhere and then some little hiccup will happen with it and it won’t start and I’ll have to go get them and fix it. I’m always driving my kids to sports, so I said I might as well drive something fun. I didn’t buy it for the roof – I only drive it with the top down.”

Scott’s asking $4,750, which is about one-tenth the price of the 2012 Chevy Camaro I’m driving, but he says he’s open to offers. Interested? Give him a call in PEI at 902-853-7784.

THEN: The causeway that links Cape Breton to the rest of mainland Canada is only a few years older than the Trans-Canada Highway, opened officially in August of 1955. Kevin MacDonald remembers being there as an 11-year-old boy, while his mom sold hot dogs to the crowd and his father, a train-ferry engineer at nearby Port Hawkesbury, worried about losing his job.

“I remember the bagpipes,” he recalls. “They were loud!”

Perhaps not quite as loud as they might have been, though. There’s a story, which nobody can prove true or false, that says one of the 100 pipers who marched across the Canso Causeway that day refused to actually blow into his pipes – a protest against the perceived loss of his island’s independence. He was, apparently, a proud Cape Bretoner named Roderick (Big Rod the Piper) MacPherson, and some people say it’s true and others state it’s a misty-eyed fantasy.

Whatever the case, it is true that several hundred people lost their jobs when the causeway was completed and the ferry service ended, including Kevin’s dad, but Charles MacDonald’s position at CN was transferred instead to Sydney the following year. Kevin says he and his brother sister received a better education for it. And in the end, the towns of Port Hawkesbury and Port Hastings saw more industry come to their area for the improved connection, and more jobs.

The opening of the Canso Causeway, 1955

Does Kevin have a favourite memory of that August day, 57 years ago? Sure he does.

“The Premier responsible for the causeway, Angus L. MacDonald, had died the year before and so his brother gave a speech for him. His brother was Father Stanley, and he spoke in the traditional Gaelic to the crowd who all understood the language. And he gave them his opinion of what he really thought of the politicians. The people all laughed and cheered and so the politicians, who were sitting behind Father Stanley, all laughed and cheered too. They weren’t from Cape Breton and couldn’t understand anything he was saying – just as well too. And that’s a true story. There’s lots of verification for that one.”

NOW: Peter the truck driver parked his haul of gravel among a dozen other gravel trucks in the line to enter the PEI ferry at Pictou, Nova Scotia. “We haul gravel and sand onto the island, and we’re taking contaminated soil out,” he says. There’s really no sand and gravel on Prince Edward Island that’s good enough quality to build roads or mix concrete, and it must all be imported from quarries in Nova Scotia. But the contaminated soil – what’s that about?

“They found an oil tank was leaking into the ground in Charlottetown and they don’t know how much oil is there. Enough to keep us busy anyway. They’ve dug down eight metres so far and they don’t know when they’ll stop.”

Gravel trucks line up to enter the PEI ferry in Nova Scotia

Peter is one of the drivers who take the oily soil to a landfill in Nova Scotia that can process it properly, and their trucks fill the lower level of the ferry. It’s expensive to cross, he says – nearly $130 round trip. Vehicles driving to and from PEI only pay when they leave the island, not when they enter, and it’s more expensive to use the seasonal ferry than the Confederation Bridge – about $20 more. Because of that, people in the know who need to make a round-trip loop will leave the island on the bridge and return on the ferry.

Like the ferries to Newfoundland, and the BC ferries between Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, the 22 km-crossing of the PEI ferry is considered to be a part of the Trans-Canada Highway. There’s been a ferry here since 1937, 20 years after the first regular ferry to the island was established near the current site of the Confederation Bridge.

Today, maybe half the 100-or-so passengers are watching Ellen Degeneres on the small ship’s large TV. Reception is better than when two friends of mine crossed on their honeymoon to the island, on the morning of Sept. 11, 1991 2001. It was horrible, Simon told me later. Everyone knew something terrible had happened but they really couldn’t make it out properly on the news with the snowy reception. When they got to PEI, he said, people heard on their car radios as they disembarked that New York’s Twin Towers had been destroyed, and everybody seemed to drive away in shock.

SOMETHING INTERESTING… They didn’t have Camaros in the 1890s – not even the originals. For that matter, they didn’t have Jeannie Campbell either, but they did have the character she plays, Mrs. Clarke of the general store. Jeannie is an interpreter at the Orwell Corner Historic Village, just off the Trans-Canada Highway about 30 km east of Charlottetown.

Jeannie Campbell - or is that Mrs. Clarke? - gets comfy in the Camaro

Jeannie took the time at the end of her day today to check out the 2012 car and decided she liked it, though she’s going to keep her Honda Civic for now. She says she likes her job, too, and the people she meets every summer, and she’s no stranger to having her photo taken.

“We get a lot of Japanese visitors here,” she said. They come to see Anne of Green Gables and then they come here, too. “They like this place because it’s the same time period (as Anne), and it’s real, too. These are the original buildings from the 1890s.

“They all want to take my picture, and I tell them they can take as many as they want, but I don’t ever want to see them.”

Here’s more evidence that newly-minted teachers face a rough job market. The University of Prince Edward Island cancelled their education job fair this year due to lack of interest from recruiters, reports CBC News. But there is hope, they note, if students willing to travel to Nunavut. (Yes, seriously!) Last week we noted that the University of Manitoba’s teaching job fair attracted no local school boards, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police showed up, suggesting that while teachers aren’t in high demand in schools right now, their skills continue to be valued by other employers.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/work/jobs/teachers-job-fair-cancelled/feed/1Ghiz: “It’s important to remember that you don’t always win.”http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/ghiz-its-important-to-remember-that-you-dont-always-win/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/ghiz-its-important-to-remember-that-you-dont-always-win/#commentsSat, 14 Jan 2012 21:07:53 +0000Jordan Owenshttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=233814Anonymous Liberal Sources stole a moment of PEI Premier Robert Ghiz’s time during his visit to the Liberal biennial convention. Here are some highlights:
JO: What’s it feel like …

Anonymous Liberal Sources stole a moment of PEI Premier Robert Ghiz’s time during his visit to the Liberal biennial convention. Here are some highlights:

JO: What’s it feel like to win? There are a lot of Liberals here who don’t remember what it’s like—or have never known what it’s like.

RG: It’s important to remember that you don’t always win. I think the big thing to focus on is that all parties are going to be down and out at some point. It’s about what you do when you rebuild to make sure that you’re going to be that positive alternative when the electors want to change their mind and elect a new government.

JO: The underlying conversation this weekend – at least among the media—is about leadership of the Liberal party of Canada. Your name has come up among the Ottawa chattering classes, as a successful Liberal premier who has rebuilt a party. What do you think about that?

RG: I think I’m young at this point. Not young, but maybe not at the right point of my life. I’ve got two young children at home—two and a half and nine months. I love what I’m doing in Prince Edward Island right now. But having said that, I love my country. I’m a firm believer in the Liberal party. You never say no. But for right now, I’m extremely happy where I am in Prince Edward Island.

The Prime Minister responds to the complaints of Ontario and Quebec about his government’s crime policies.

Look, it’s – there’s constitutional responsibilities of all governments to enforce laws and protect people, and I’ve seen the data. I think the people of Ontario and Quebec expect that their government will work with the federal government to make sure we have safe streets and safe communities.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/dont-go-building-firewalls/feed/15Election night in PEI and the NWThttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/election-night-in-pei-and-the-nwt/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/election-night-in-pei-and-the-nwt/#commentsMon, 03 Oct 2011 23:49:18 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=218508The Liberals appear set to be reelected in Prince Edward Island with 21 22 seats to six five for the Progressive Conservatives. Here’s the applicable Rick Mercer skit.
The Northwest…

Better luck next time: Will gives Kate, a far more experienced paddler, a hug after the race

Prince Edward Island is famously known as the cradle of Canadian Confederation. Now, after William and Catherine’s action-packed 24 hours in the country’s smallest province, it can also lay claim to being the incubator of a new, far more informal royal protocol. In the space of a few hours, the world watched the newlyweds competing fervently against one another in a dragon boat race, hugging affectionately after, then even more shockingly for anyone schooled in monarchical mores, eating in public, heretofore a no-no.

The island’s laid-back mood was clearly contagious. Even under a light drizzle, the couple appeared relaxed at their first official duty at Province House, the provincial legislature and site of the 1864 Charlottetown conference. The duchess was less formally attired than previously during the tour, wearing a cream knit dress with a sailor’s bow and navy stripes, nautical details that paid homage to the Maritime setting.

After signing the Province House guest book, handshaking and posing for photos, the duke and duchess greeted an enthusiastic crowd filled with “I [heart] Will and Kate” signs and T-shirts. “What are you doing standing in the rain?” Kate asked one speechless teenage boy who looked as if he’d faint.

A horse-drawn landau with an RCMP escort ferried them to the waterfront, where they mingled a bit more before taking a helicopter to Dalvay by the Sea, a scenic resort on the north shore. There, more than 2,000 people gathered under grey skies and in blustery winds to watch the prince land a Sea King helicopter on water, a technique known as waterbirding. Executing the military emergency training exercise was a first for the RAF search-and-rescue pilot, and he clearly appeared to enjoy showing off his new skill, repeatedly landing and taking off as his wife took photographs from the shore.

Both then appeared in casual clothing to participate in a dragon boat race across the lake, which William’s team won. “They were definitely competitive,” said Annie Baert, a member of Canada’s national rowing team who was part of the 20-person crew with Kate. The duchess, an experienced paddler, wanted to steer at first, Baert says, then decided to paddle.

Champagne duly handed out to the winners, the couple then participated in a traditional Mi’kmaq smudging, or welcoming ceremony, before visiting tents and stages showcasing the Island’s cuisine and culture. After tasting lobster and clams baked in hot rocks on the sand, William asked the chef, Andrew Nicholson, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, what the detritus near the lobster shells on the table was. Nicholson laughed, thought about it, then said: “We call it s–t.” To that a royal aide quipped: “I’m sure they’ll ask about the meaning of the word later.”

The nonplussed couple soldiered on, helicoptering to Summerside Harbour for their last official scheduled event, which for William must have been like a day at the office: on-water search-and-rescue demonstrations. By then, of course, a far bigger rescue operation had been conducted, one intended to revive an archaic institution for the 21st century. If the look on people’s faces in P.E.I. was any indication, it succeeded.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/letting-their-guard-down-2/feed/0Trouble in ‘paradise’http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/trouble-in-paradise/
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/trouble-in-paradise/#commentsMon, 21 Feb 2011 16:06:22 +0000macleans.cahttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=173301A man accused of killing his brother sparks the first murder investigation on the Island in five years

Donna Dingwell faced a mother’s unthinkable nightmare last month. As she made funeral arrangements following the murder on Jan. 17 of her eldest son Kyle, 25, she was also looking for a lawyer for his accused killer—her 22-year-old son Dylan. “Everyone really felt for this mother,” says Charlottetown’s deputy police chief Gary McGuigan. “She buried one son on Saturday and would be in court on Monday with the other, who was charged with second-degree murder.”

Kyle Dingwell’s murder not only shocked his family, it caused a profound stir across Prince Edward Island, where homicides are almost unheard of. For five of the past six years, Canada’s smallest province has had the country’s lowest homicide rate—zero—according to Statistics Canada. Police on P.E.I. have not undertaken a murder investigation since 2006, when a dairy plant worker deliberately ran down a former colleague with his car.

Murder cases everywhere make headlines, but news of the Dingwell killing spread fear and anger across P.E.I., and sparked a rash of unseemly Internet gossip, before any details of the murder became known. Comments on a Charlottetown newspaper website suggested the crime might be linked to the drug trade, or caused by “immigrants.”

“There was just this crazy hysteria in Charlottetown for about two days,” says P.E.I. news blogger Stephen Pate. “Not only was it racist and ugly, it wasn’t even true.”

As people later discovered, Kyle Dingwell—a well-liked, born-and-bred Islander, who had spent time on the Alberta oil rigs but was now back in P.E.I. planning to attend community college—was shot at his mother’s suburban home in the presence of two other local men. He died later in hospital. Police quickly charged his younger brother Dylan with murder, and seized a .38-calibre handgun from the house. They said the shooting followed an altercation of some kind, but have released no other details. “We don’t know and we may never know what caused this to happen,” says McGuigan. “There was some type of argument, and it had dire consequences for Kyle Dingwell.” Donna Dingwell—who has a third son, Jarred, and whose husband Scott Dingwell died years ago in a fire—declined to discuss the murder with Maclean’s.

Heather Taweel/The Guardian

“It was a pretty shocking thing,” says Stephen Pate, who adds that while he didn’t like the hysterical reaction, he understands it. “P.E.I. is a pretty gentle place, a laid-back place. Everybody knows everybody. I’m not saying there’s no crime, and that there aren’t fights after the bars close at night. But for the most part P.E.I. is pretty easygoing.”

The province’s small population cannot alone explain the low murder rate. The city of Abbotsford, B.C., had nine murders in 2009 despite being similar in size to Charlottetown, which had none. Thunder Bay, Ont., had six murders that year and Saguenay, Que., had five. “It has to do with islands,” says Douglas Malcolm, a P.E.I. author and cultural historian. “If you transgress certain criminal boundaries here, you’re going to be ostracized in the community. Newfoundland [which has the second lowest murder rate in Canada] is the same, especially in the outports. People leave their homes open, because if there was a break-and-enter, the transgressor would be ostracized and not welcome.”

Godfrey Baldacchino, a professor at the Institute of Island Studies at the University of P.E.I., says there is a higher expectation of conformity—and more pressure on deviants to leave—in all island communities. Anyone contemplating a serious crime also faces the practical problem of escaping a small island surrounded by a hard boundary of water.

P.E.I. now has the Confederation Bridge, and during the heated debates in the 1990s about whether to build a fixed link to the mainland, Islanders worried that a bridge would bring in too many outsiders, and all their supposed evils including violent crime. More than a decade after the bridge opened, that prediction has proven largely false.

But as the province maintains its island ways, Baldacchino says that conformity and a sense of community can also have their disadvantages. P.E.I.’s low rates of violent crime, he warns, don’t necessarily mean there is no violence. “There is likely to be an increased sense of reticence and silence in the face of, say, domestic violence,” he says. Because there is no anonymity, “reputations can be ruined for life, and enemies made from neighbours or friends, who may report such crimes to the police, will not be easily forgiven or forgotten. There can be a dark side to bucolic island paradises too.”

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/trouble-in-paradise/feed/2Picking sideshttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/picking-sides-2/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/picking-sides-2/#commentsWed, 21 Jul 2010 15:08:16 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=139381At last count, the Industry Minister had identified 10 people on Twitter who support his decision on the census.
Those who oppose the change now include the governments in at…

A Cree woman I’ve known for many years up in Moosonee, Ont., has been in such anguish for months that I fear for her life. This anguish, this word, can’t begin to describe her tortured suffering. She lives every day walking through what most of us would consider our worst nightmare. A year ago, her 17-year-old son, while at a house party full of friends, walked from the kitchen, where he’d found a short indoor extension cord, through the crowded living room, to the bedroom, and eventually into a closet. There, he wrapped the end of the cord around his neck, and, leaving a foot or two, he tied the other around the clothes rod. This thin young man, pimples on his chin and black hair he wore short and spiky, knelt so that his full weight took up all slack. In this way, he slowly strangled himself to death.

If you have the fortitude, think about that for a minute. He could have stopped at any time; he could have simply stood up to take the pressure off. Possibly he did once or twice or three times when the fear of what awaited overcame him, when the happy noise of his friends in the rooms next door drifted in, muffled. But eventually, with unbelievable will, with a drive he’d never exhibited in his young life before, he managed this gruesome act of self-destruction.

Last week I attended the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s first annual gathering at the Forks in Winnipeg. Residential school survivors along with their families came together from all across Canada. The first day alone an estimated 20,000 people gathered to speak about their experiences or to see old friends or to soak up the evening concert that included Buffy Sainte-Marie and Blue Rodeo. Despite the rather festive feel of the first day, the pain, the same anguish that my Cree friend feels, was palpable just below the surface. The sunny skies turned to rain the next couple of days as if in mimicry.

An Anishnabe medicine man I know, when he speaks of the creation of residential schools, says that a door was opened that should never have been unlocked. For Westerners, his rather poetic view might be comparable to letting a sinister genie out of a bottle. One of the many evils that escaped out that door, the medicine man believes, is the tremendously high Aboriginal youth suicide rate in our country. He believes, as do many, that this suicide epidemic is a direct effect of residential schools where generation after generation of families were torn apart by the system. What’s certainly fact is that suicide among Aboriginal groups before residential schools was almost unheard of.

As I’ve mentioned, this Cree woman in Moosonee, my friend, has lived in anguish since the suicide of her son. Her 15-year-old daughter did, as well. She was close to her brother and went through most all of the stages of grief: disbelief, anger, a stabbing sadness. But she wasn’t able to make it to the last stage: acceptance. Five months after her brother was found hanged at the party, my Cree friend found her daughter hanged, this time in her own closet at home, and this time actually kneeling, leaning slightly forward as if in deep prayer.

How does a mother go on after that? This Cree woman, my friend, she’s from a tiny, isolated James Bay reserve named Kashechewan, 160 km as the bush plane flies north of Moosonee. Kashechewan is like a hundred other northern Canadian reserves. But unlike most, Kashechewan made the papers a handful of years ago when more than 20 youth attempted suicide in a single month. I remember reading about it on page five of the Globe and Mail and not being surprised. I’d lived and taught up there. The reserve’s reputation preceded it.

People in Moosonee warned me each time when I was to travel to Kash and spend a few days, a week, teaching adult community members reading and writing skills. These people said, “Be careful. It’s a dangerous place. It’s a rough reserve. A lot of people up there are crazy.” No warnings ever—and strangely, I might add—more specific than that. What I found were a lot of amazing people who became dear friends.

And I found a sadness difficult to define, lingering just below the surface of day-to-day living. My Cree friend, now the mother of two dead children, she’d left Kashechewan to live in Moosonee years ago, which to her mind was moving to a big town, in part to escape that insidious sadness of her reserve.

It’s the same sadness I can feel seeping from residential school survivors as I wander through this first annual gathering at the Forks. Groups huddle in large tents, rain popping on the roofs. They sit in circles and take turns speaking about their experiences. Some are resigned and speak matter-of-factly, others in hiccups and sobs. There are very few dry eyes and my initial feeling that I’m eavesdropping on something I shouldn’t be dissipates when someone invariably cracks a joke and smiles light up the circle.

My Cree friend didn’t know then what she knows now, that this sadness I speak of, this hurting, isn’t only isolated in Kash. This hurting has spread across the northern reserves and heavily Indian communities of Canada. It spreads more easily than H1N1, and it’s been infecting northern communities for many years. It’s deadlier than any epidemic since the smallpox and tuberculosis eras.

The oldest son of one of my dearest friends in the world, he’s made something of himself. He’s a young Moose Cree man with a brand-new wife and a brand-new career as an OPP officer. On my last visit to Moosonee, he told me something that continues to devastate me, that sounds unbelievable it is so brutal. Over a six-month period recently, there were at least 100 suicide attempts among teens in Moosonee, and many others in the neighbouring reserve of Moose Factory. At last count, eight youths in Moosonee have been “successful.” They’ve hanged themselves in closets, sometimes in trees behind the high school. It appears a death cult is taking root. More than 100 attempts. Eight suicides. In a community of 2,500. Yes, it appears to be a death cult.

If this statistic darkened non-Indian towns across, say, British Columbia or Manitoba or Prince Edward Island, if this epidemic struck one of our communities, it would be national news, the media frenzy so saturated that Canadians would suffer empathy burnout within months. My quick Google search—suicide rates on Canadian reserves—pulls 36,000 results in 0.28 seconds. Within minutes, I can learn that since at least the year 2000, many experts have declared that the northern reserves of our country are the suicide capitals of the world. Statistics on these pages, I think, quickly stun then numb us. And the reasons why our Aboriginal youth are strangling themselves in closets, are shooting themselves in the head, are drowning themselves in icy rivers? A few more minutes of keyboard tapping on Google and it becomes so obvious: miserable socio-economic conditions, psycho-biological tendencies, the post-traumatic stress of a culture’s destruction.

And what can even begin to stem the tide of brutal loss? The one and only family services centre in Moosonee, Payukotayno, which serves all of the 14,000 Cree of the Ontario side of James Bay, almost had to close its doors in December 2009, not long after my good friend’s children’s suicides. That was due to a severe lack of government funding. It’s expensive to try and furnish these services in such remote areas. The experts agree, though, that it’s vital. I’ve been told of 14 youth suicides on the west coast of James Bay in 2009. One in 1,000 committed suicide last year. The Canadian average, I’m told, is one in 100,000. Suicide rates on the west coast of James Bay are 100 times higher than the Canadian average in 2009. And the only family services facility for the west coast of James Bay came within inches of closing its doors last year for a lack of funding.

Before I paint such a painfully bleak picture, let me be clear that for each story of loss there is a story of accomplishment, of perseverance. Here’s one: while wandering around the Forks last week, I ran into a young man, Patrick Etherington Jr. from Moosonee, a young man I’ve known since he was a boy. In fact, for much of one year I home-schooled him. After a brief catching-up, he told me something startling. Over a month ago, he and his father, Patrick Sr., along with a few friends, took a train from Moosonee to Cochrane and then began walking. They walked over 1,600 km in just over 30 days in order to get here for this first annual gathering.

Along the way they talked to strangers, explaining that they were walking for the people, that this was their own little way of helping to begin shutting that door that was opened when the first doors of the residential schools in Canada began opening 150 years ago.

Patrick Sr. is a man I’ve held in great regard for 15 years. When I lived in Moosonee so long ago and became close with the Etherington family, Patrick Sr. shared with me some very tough and yes, shocking stories of his years at St. Anne’s in Fort Albany, one of Ontario’s most infamous residential schools. And now, here he is walking with four young people across a substantial part of Canada because he understands that the epidemic I speak of is contagious, and one way to protect your children is to engage with them in as direct a way as you can. What better way than to spend more than a month walking and talking and laughing and sharing the joys and pain of such an adventure?

Six more Truth and Reconciliation events are planned across Canada over the next five years, six more chances for people to come together and share stories and discuss remedies and keep straining to push that door shut.

What I’m convinced of is this: the simple act of taking that first step on the highway with your father and best friends beside you, the tension of the fast-moving river through your paddle, the radiant heat in the moose’s rib cage as you reach your arm to cut out its heart, the sound of Canada geese honking as they stretch their necks for the south, the tug of the pickerel as it takes your hook, the sickening grind of the outboard’s prop as it touches submerged river rock—it’s these simple experiences that contain medicine strong enough to start some healing, to start closing that door.

Sometimes I catch myself dreaming about my Cree friend’s two dead children. In my dream they’re still alive, and they’re out in the bush, paddling the Moose River together, sun on their shoulders and good power in their stroke. They’re paddling north, I think, home to Moosonee. And although I can’t see her, I know that their mother stands on the shore by town, waiting patiently for them to come into sight.

About a month after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans restaurateur Tommy Cvitanovich introduced a new signature dish at his restaurant: charbroiled mussels from Prince Edward Island. “Ninety-five per cent of the tables here order charbroiled oysters,” he says of the original signature at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant. “So when we were faced with the possibility of losing our supply, we had to come up with something.”

Cvitanovich is just one of many Louisiana chefs and restaurateurs scrambling for local seafood in the face of what seems like a never-ending oil spill. About a third of the Gulf’s federal waters have been closed to fishing, and many of the shrimpers and oystermen who could work on open areas of the coastline have signed up with BP to help in the cleanup. Ewell Smith of the Louisi­ana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board says the US$2.4-billion industry is “devastated.” Production levels for shrimp are at about a third; oysters, a quarter. Morale is at “a record low.”

As a result, local chefs are adapting their menus and dreaming up alternatives for a possible future without the raw ingredients that have come to define Louisiana Creole cuisine. Melvin Rodrigue, the general manager at Galatoire’s—a New Orleans institution—says the restaurant has purchased 10,000 lb. of shrimp “as a backup” in case supply is further depleted. His head chef is also thinking of reintroducing an old dish: chicken livers en brochette to replace oysters en brochette. For Rodrigue, this dish shows the capacity of New Orleans chefs to adapt to anything. “Unlike Katrina, this [spill] is much more of a sleeping giant. It’s something that we will deal with for many years to come.”

At Bourbon House, where the focus is on local seafood, executive chef Darin Nesbit has already faced difficulty in getting flounder, and he may have to fly in Dover sole for amandine. “One of the great things about Gulf seafood is that it’s readily available and chefs in this part of the country don’t have to do a lot to make the food taste great.” He adds, “If we have to start going outside of the Gulf, then it’s not going to represent New Orleans food.” But he’s thinking ahead: he has lined up sources in Texas, and as a last resort, he’ll go to the East and West Coast for seafood.

Costs, meanwhile, are going up. Adolfo Garcia, chef and owner of the Latin- and Spanish-inspired RioMar seafood restaurants, says the price for a gallon of shucked oysters rose from US$35 to $50 or $60 since the spill. The executive chef at another New Orleans restaurant, Commander’s Palace, says his costs for shrimp have risen 40 per cent. Other restaurants have opted to serve oysters only by request, or not at all.

Of course, the oyster shuckers that supply these iconic New Orleans eateries are also victims. In June, the oldest continually running oyster company in the U.S., P&J Oyster Company, halted shucking. Sal Sunseri, who co-owns the 134-year-old operation, says he had to lay off more than half his staff—many of them family members—after the oyster beds that supply him shut down.

“We’ve had a few peaks and valleys,” says Sunseri, “but never a man-made catastrophe like this. I am usually very optimistic. I believe in God and I believe in miracles. But [even with a miracle] we know that it’s going to take over 20 years to have productive oystering again.” One of Sunseri’s suppliers, Mitch Jurisich, is a third-generation oyster farmer. “We’re always hopeful,” he says, “but until they stop this well from leaking, the hope fades every day.” He and his brother are business partners with sons who they dreamed would get into the family business. “But right now, those plans are on hold.”

P.E.I. offers more than 70 adventures in the Once in a Lifetime Experiences program (John Sylvester Photography)

SummerFest (June 30-July 4)
The Island’s newest festival has something for every member of the family. For the younger kids, there’s a petting zoo, performances by the Doodlebops (a pre-school musical favourite), and a Swash Buckler Pirate Zone that features a haunted house. For teens, there’s the the Fringe Urban Zone with daily skateboard and BMX competitions. There’s a three-on-three hockey tournament on a synthetic ice surface, as well as the West Coast Lumberjack Show complete with log rolling. Plus a unique Cirque du Soleil performance that can only be seen in Charlottetown. In fact, Cirque signed a three-year contract this year to play at SummerFest. If you can’t make it to the show, you can catch Cirque du Soleil performers on Great George Street for free.

Once in a Lifetime Experiences
Have you ever boarded a fishing boat and headed out to sea to catch and cook your own lobster, tasted seaweed pie or tonged for oysters? Well, now you can. Tourism P.E.I.’s Once in a Lifetime Experiences program offers more than 70 different experiential tourism adventures for those wanting, and willing, to get their hands dirty while immersing themselves in authentic P.E.I. culture. If seafood isn’t your thing, other programs include learning how to build a wind chime, creating folk art out of recycled scrap metal with the help of a master craftsman, and making your own pinhole camera.

Hitting the links
P.E.I. is consistently ranked one of the top golf destinations on the continent. In fact, there are more than 20 courses within 45 minutes of each other, including the breathtaking and challenging Links at Crowbush, which overlooks the dunes of the north shore near Morell, as well as the Dundarave and Brudenell River courses near Georgetown.
Cavendish Beach Music Festival (July 7-11)
Only in its second year, this five-day outdoor music festival is picking up some serious steam. Headliners this year include country superstars Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. And don’t forget to bring your sunscreen and beachwear. The concerts take place just minutes from beautiful Cavendish beach on the Island’s northern shore. Five-day passes start at $271 for adults and $105 for children between the ages of 6 to 12.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/summer-getaway-prince-edward-island-swings-sails-and-celebs/feed/1What sold Regis on Charlottetownhttp://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/what-sold-regis-on-charlottetown/
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/what-sold-regis-on-charlottetown/#commentsThu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:55 +0000Nicholas Köhlerhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=128854P.E.I. had been wooing the show for months

Once they spotted Michael Gelman, the less-than-camera-shy executive producer of Live with Regis and Kelly, on Prince Edward Island in April, the rumours were hard to quash. “We tried,” says Brenda Gallant, of Tourism P.E.I. When the gossip led an opposition MLA to ask whether the show would be shooting in P.E.I.—at some public expense—Tourism Minister Robert Vessey ducked, saying he had nothing to announce.

In fact, P.E.I. had been wooing the show for months. “Our U.S. penetration is low,” explains deputy minister of tourism Melissa MacEachern, adding that what P.E.I. needs is “brand awareness”—the kind of thing the Island, a golfer’s paradise, secured last year from the Golf Network reality show The Big Break XI: Prince Edward Island.

So P.E.I. set out to snare a U.S. daytime syndicated vehicle—but who? The Oprah Winfrey Show, as it turns out, rarely shoots on location. But as a culinary tourism destination—the mussels, the Malpeques oysters, that lobster (those potatoes!)—and as a place of beaches and beautiful scenery, Tourism P.E.I. thought they might appeal to Regis and Kelly, which has shot in Niagara Falls and Whistler. At a winter meeting in New York, the Islanders spun P.E.I. as a “very well-kept secret.” The pitch was well-received (the show hears frequent overtures but considers few). The decision, the Islanders were told, would go to Gelman. “The Gelman?” they asked. Married to a Canadian, he eventually okayed the visit.

None of this comes cheap—$800,000 from P.E.I., $200,000 from the feds. Yet estimates value the four-day exposure, in July, at $4.8 million. “You can’t buy this kind of advertising,” says Gallant. But aren’t they?

When responding to medical emergencies, paramedics say that exceeding the speed limit is just part of the job. But how fast is too fast? Citing safety concerns, Island EMS, the company that operates ambulances on Prince Edward Island, has tightened its cap on speeds—despite the fervent protestations of the paramedics union. “We’re not talking about these people wanting to be cowboys,” says union spokesman Bill McKinnon. “We’re talking about professionals who have always had discretion and used it wisely.”

The dispute began last November, when Island EMS introduced a policy further limiting speeds. Relaxed slightly in February, it now prohibits ambulances from going more than 10 km/h over the speed limit in town, and more than 20 km/h over it on highways. According to Island EMS general manager Craig Pierre, speeding is a safety hazard which, on narrow P.E.I. roads, doesn’t necessarily result in an earlier arrival. “When you’re travelling fast you have to brake harder,” he says. “Slower, more controlled driving actually gets you there in the same time.”

McKinnon, who claims the cap is more restrictive than in other Canadian jurisdictions, says the union was unable to find a single accident in P.E.I. involving an ambulance in emergency mode directly related to speed. As well, he cites an incident in New Brunswick when an elderly patient died after paramedics, prohibited from exceeded a speed cap, didn’t arrive in time. “We’re really concerned that a similar incident will occur here,” he says. (Ambulance New Brunswick, a subsidiary of the company that owns Island EMS, has since reviewed its policy and relaxed the caps.)

Unable to reach a compromise, the parties have called for government intervention. A communications officer for P.E.I. Health Minister Carolyn Bertram says that, for now, she is staying out of the conflict. But after discussing the issue with Island EMS earlier this month, Bertram told the Charlottetown Guardian, “From what I see, [the Island EMS policy] is ensuring patient safety.”

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/watch-your-speed-its-an-emergency/feed/1Helena Guergis would like to apologizehttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/in-other-news-3/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/in-other-news-3/#commentsThu, 25 Feb 2010 21:38:10 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=111928For throwing her boots at airport security and other acts of travel rage

“On February 19, I was rushing to catch a flight at the Charlottetown Airport and spoke emotionally to some staff members. Regardless of my workload and personal circumstances, it was not appropriate and I apologize to airport and Air Canada staff.

“It was certainly not my intention to create any additional stress for airport or Air Canada employees who already have a very difficult job.

“My father was born in Summerside and many of my relatives still live on the Island, which I love and visit almost every year. To me, it is a very special place that demonstrates the best Canada has to offer. I wish to express my appreciation to all the hard-working people who make it so welcoming.”

ICE COLD OYSTERS/FERNWOOD (Monday to Friday, by appointment)
Head out onto the ice at Salutation Cove on a snowmobile and learn to catch oysters from the bottom of the cove. While most fishermen use chainsaws to cut through the ice, visitors taking part in a guided tour are able to plunge their own tongs into the ice and eat a few oysters right out of the water. Participants learn the difference between standard and choice oysters, as well as how they’re farmed, harvested, and shucked.

BROOKVALE WINTER ACTIVITY PARK/QUEEN’S COUNTY
Centrally located, Queen’s County is where many cross-country, snowboarding and alpine enthusiasts come to play when visiting the Island. For downhill skiers, the park offers a 76-m drop and 10 alpine trails. Nordic skiers can enjoy 24.5 km of recreational trails and another 7.5 km of competitive lanes. If skiing isn’t your thing, pull on a pair of snowshoes or jump on a toboggan and race down the hills—all before enjoying a warm cider in one of the two lodges on the property.

OWNER FOR AN EVENING/CHARLOTTETOWN (until the end of December)
Harness racing has a rich history in P.E.I. (home of the Gold Cup and Saucer Race) and there’s nothing like the thrill of watching “your” horse make its move in the final stretch. The Owner for an Evening experience includes a tour of the grandstand at the Charlottetown Driving Park and Entertainment Centre and a visit to the paddock to meet the horse. Participants discuss race strategy with trainers before a buffet dinner of steamed mussels, seafood chowder and P.E.I. potatoes. Though you won’t collect a cut if your horse is victorious, expect to be whisked to the winner’s circle where your photo will be taken alongside your horse and driver.

JACK FROST CHILDREN’S WINTERFEST/CHARLOTTETOWN (Feb. 12 to 14)
About 70 tonnes of snow is used to make Jack Frost’s “home,” a whimsical castle that delights children during the largest winter festival east of Quebec City. Frost’s snow kingdom is an interactive playground bursting with slides, jungle gyms, an igloo village and ice carvings. And though the festival is primarily geared toward children, adults can enjoy the live music, fireworks displays, and a 3,600-sq.-foot snow maze.

]]>http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/winter-travel-09-prince-edward-island/feed/0Cards to play, chips to usehttp://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/cards-to-play-chips-to-use/
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/cards-to-play-chips-to-use/#commentsMon, 09 Nov 2009 15:29:03 +0000Aaron Wherryhttp://www2.macleans.ca/?p=91224Reluctant partisan Mike Duffy explains the necessity of his travel on the public dime.
“You look at Holland College in P.E.I., they got $8.5 million this year,” said Duffy. “People …

Reluctant partisan Mike Duffy explains the necessity of his travel on the public dime.

“You look at Holland College in P.E.I., they got $8.5 million this year,” said Duffy. “People say why do you travel? It’s because you need cards to play and chips to use.”

Duffy builds his chips up by traveling to MP’s ridings, meeting people, giving speeches and making friends.

“So I’m going to ask the minister of science Gary Goodyear to look favourably upon Holland College. He has a zillion applications and I say, ‘gee Gary, would you take a personal interest. I think it has merit. Will you look at that and see what you can do,” said Duffy. “So when Holland College comes up they get $8.5 million. They’re going to build some new buildings, take down some substandard housing and rearrange things and do it in a way that will substantially change your impression of Charlottetown.”

High schoolers in P.E.I. are having sex, and they need condoms. That’s the message from Hep’d up on Life, a publicly funded health group fighting to reduce sexually transmitted infections among teenagers on the Island. Currently, no schools in P.E.I. have condom dispensers; only a handful offer counselling programs where students can obtain contraceptives. Hep’d up hopes that will soon change: it wants to place condom dispensers in every high school across the province.

According to Statistics Canada, about 30 per cent of Island youth have already had unprotected sex. That’s far too many, says Hep’d up program coordinator Pam O’Neill. “We’re trying to make condoms accessible to youth so they don’t have to go to [the local drug store], where, in a small community, you’ll probably know the cashier,” she says. “We’re more ready to grasp the concept of harm reduction. Making the community safer is going to help everyone.”

Dale McIsaac is the principal of Bluefield High School in Hampshire, P.E.I. He supports Hep’d up’s efforts to reduce STI transmission, but believes giving students unrestricted access to condoms is a bad idea. The dispensers, he says, will undercut sex education programs, like the one his school already employs. At Bluefield High, students can get free condoms, but first must speak with a youth worker about sex and relationships.

O’Neill disagrees. She says the dispensers will give students who aren’t comfortable talking with adults about sex access to protection. Hep’d up plans to bring its proposal before P.E.I.’s minister of education later this school year. O’Neill thinks the appeal has a good chance of success, and believes the condom campaign is already showing positive results. “The youth are learning from it, it’s a win-win all over the place.”

A Prince Edward Island man is set to become the province’s first married Catholic priest. Martin Carter, a former Anglican clergyman, will be admitted to the Catholic priesthood in August. Currently, the Roman Catholic Church does not support the ordination of married men. P.E.I. Bishop Vernon Fougere explains that Carter, who is married and has three sons, “had to petition the Holy Father—the Pope—for permission”; the whole process took almost four years. And Fougere stressed that Carter’s case was exceptional: “In the Catholic Church, we do not ordain married men. [This] does not mean that permission will be given tomorrow to every married man to be ordained.”

Still, Timothy Scott, a Catholic priest who is also president of St. Joseph’s College in Edmonton, says that the ordination of married men has been happening for 15 or 20 years—but “quietly.” And, Scott says, there’s a catch. The exception to the Church’s rule of celibacy for priests is only made for men who were priests or ministers in other Christian denominations—Anglican or Lutheran, for example—and then converted to Catholicism. A man who is born Catholic and later marries can never become a priest. “It’s a bit confusing,” he concedes. And every case needs the approval of the Vatican.

Scott says the conversion of Anglican priests to Catholicism is part of a broader trend among conservative Anglicans frustrated with their church’s more liberal practices. In particular, he says, many Anglicans disapprove of ordaining women and performing blessing services for homosexual couples, and so might be drawn to the more orthodox Roman Catholic Church. So what do the the members of Charlottetown’s St. Pius X parish think of their recently converted priest? “I have not done a survey, but the people I have spoken to in the shopping malls are elated that this can happen in the Catholic Church,” claims Bishop Fougere. “A lot of people see the Church as being very rigid, but that is not always the case.”

Charlottetown Festival (June 18-Sept. 26) Now in its 45th year, the Charlottetown Festival is the event that really put Charlottetown—and P.E.I., for that matter—on the Canadian travel map. It’s three months of musical theatre, comedy and other artistic performance from top Canadian actors, performers, directors and writers, at the Confederation Centre for the Arts. Anne of Green Gables: The Musical—the production that started it all—anchors the program. Other 2009 productions include Charlie Farquharson and Them Udders and Stan Rogers: A Matter of Heart. One-night musical performances feature the likes of Rawlins Cross and Gordie Sampson. The Confederation Centre is located close to the provincial legislature, Province House, in Charlottetown’s charming Victorian downtown. Smaller theatres and galleries have taken hold nearby; all of that, in turn, is not far from waterfront trails and parks established recently on the town’s harbour.

Old Home Week, Charlottetown (Aug. 13-22) If the Charlottetown Festival brings tourists from “away” to P.E.I., Old Home Week calls to native Islanders who have also left the fold. The result: a provincial homecoming featuring livestock shows, agricultural competitions, a midway, concerts and, at the centre of it all, 15 cards of harness racing—P.E.I.’s unofficial No. 1 pastime—over 10 days at the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre. Old Home Week was first held in 1888 and now draws upwards of 80,000 people annually. The final-night, final-race climax is the Gold Cup & Saucer, the most prestigious harness race in Atlantic Canada, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2009. Get there early: the grounds will be packed and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a dry eye anywhere when it’s over.

2009 Canada Games (Aug. 15-29) Full marks if you know the Canada Games aren’t a P.E.I.-exclusive. In fact, this two-week competition, involving thousands of elite, amateur Canadian youth athletes, has been held every two years (summer and winter games, alternately) in a different province since 1967. When P.E.I.’s turn came up for 2009, instead of several communities submitting competing bids, it made a single, province-wide submission. The result: a Canada Games first, in which spectators will be able to take in 18 events (such as softball, soccer, rowing and cycling), see at least a few future Olympians, and do so in a way that takes them into towns and communities all over the island. Know this: Islanders will hold nothing back when it comes to hospitality. Set an itinerary that includes an eastern or western island road trip and see how much you can eat, drink and soak up in the process.

Cavendish Beach, P.E.I. National Park Red cliffs and white sand beaches are a P.E.I. staple. To get your fill of both, head to Cavendish Beach and Prince Edward Island National Park, which stretches almost 50 km along the island’s north shore. Dune lovers should seek out the Greenwich Peninsula, a six-kilometre stretch of spectacular sand dunes and trails added to the park in 1998. Of course, Cavendish is also home to all things Anne of Green Gables, including the house that inspired author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s famous story, an Anne of Green Gables museum, as well as Avonlea Village, a kind of themed, historical amusement park. A Lucy Maud Montgomery Festival kicks off in early July. Overlapping that is the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, a three-day country music festival, which this year features international headliners Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw (July 10-12).

Golf Golf Golf No province has a monopoly on great golf, but P.E.I. consistently ranks as the country’s top golfing holiday destination. Credit the number of courses (more than 30), their quality (10 in Canada’s top 100), the picturesque landscape and P.E.I.’s small size, which means every course is nearby. The island’s rep got its latest boost when the Golf Channel selected Mill River Golf Course as the setting for its spring 2009 edition of the Big Break reality golf series. Consensus picks as P.E.I.’s two best courses: the Links at Crowbush Cove, on the north shore near Morell, and Dundarave, on the Brudenell River, near Georgetown. They’re a half-hour drive apart and each a half-hour drive from Charlottetown.